I’m a Beauty Editor Who Loves $$$ Makeup—These Chanel Picks Are Worth It (2025)

Whether you want matte, shimmer, or a mix of both, Chanel’s eyeshadow quads come in a lotta shade and texture variations depending on your vibes. I’m partial to the matte formula, which looks smooth and soft on my eyelids. The shimmers are very subtle, so they're great for someone who just wants a light wash on their lids without a strong glitter or metallic flash.

✨Rating: 3/5

One Cosmo editor says: “When Chanel launched this quad (pictured below) in their winter collection, I had to get these stunning shades on my eyes immediately. And I haven’t been disappointed with a single shade. I can pack it on with a flat shader brush, or use a fluffy blending brush to add a sheer layer of color—either way, it looks hella editorial and cool.”
—Beth Gillette, beauty editor

Every other cream bronzer that exists now has this formula to thank. It’s the OG and still beloved for a reason. It’s extremely lightweight and blendable on the skin—so much so, I often just dab it on my face and blend in with my fingers. And the warm undertone gives me such a natural ~sunkissed~ glow.

It launched with only one shade but now is available in three (ranging from light/medium to deep bronze). However, it’s still definitely not deep enough for a lot of skin tones, so would love to see even more shade expansion.

✨Rating: 3.5/5

One Cosmo editor says: “If you have fair to medium skin, I can attest, it is ahhhmazing. And yes, it’s hella $$$, but I’ve had mine for such a long time, so it’s def worth the splurge.”
—Siena Gagliano, former associate editor

So, a handful of times, I’ve accidentally slept with this on my eyes and shockingly, it stays on overnight. (Do as I say, not as I do, people.) It smudges a lil bit, but in a sexy, Skins UK vibe that feels indie sleaze and chic. Most of all, I love how creamy it is. I barely have to glide it onto my waterline for the formula to show up opaque black.

✨Rating: 4/5

One Cosmo editor says: “This waterproof eyeliner from Chanel has that ~magic Goldilocks effect~: It’s creamy enough to glide on your waterline without skipping, but it also somehow stays put all day long without smearing or transferring.” —Ama Kwarteng, former beauty assistant

Cream-to-powder blush just makes sense. It goes on soft and with a watercolor, dreamy finish, but as it dries down to powder, it gets a bit softer and maintains much more longevity. Hence why I’m willing to splurge on this one from Chanel. It goes on a lot sheerer than it looks in the compact but can def be built up in a few layers for a stronger look.

✨Rating: 4/5

One Cosmo editor says: “I’m not usually a powder blush girl, but I obviously was willing to give Chanel a chance (I mean, my mom has used it since I can remember). Unfortunately for my wallet, I love it. It is so luxe and gives my cheeks a soft flush that blurs my cheeks for the days I want a light touch of makeup instead of an overly glowy or dewy finish.” —Jasmine Hyman, assistant beauty editor

Chanel isn’t here to give you spidery lashes. Instead, this mascara makes my eyes look awake and bigger, thanks to the natural bristles that catch and enhance every single lash. It’s extremely black and opaque in one coat, too.

✨Rating: 4/5

One Cosmo editor says: “Listen, this mascara is probs the only thing I’ll ever be able to afford from Chanel, and I’m not mad about it. The wand is thick and dense with bristles, so you can seriously work the formula into your lashes for a volumized, falsies-level finish. Yes, it’s expensive, but I would honestly buy this mascara even if I weren’t a beauty editor.”
—SG

Leave it to Chanel Beauty to get me into lip serums. Only the bougiest for them, ofc. And I totally am getting the appeal. This lightweight, hydrating serum goes on clear and sinks into my lips—unlike a balm or gloss—and hydrates the eff outta my life. It’s got a mix of glycerin, shea butter, squalane, and hyaluronic acid to moisturize, lock in hydration, and help plump up lips, too.

✨Rating: 4/5

One Cosmo editor says: “I’ve been using this nearly every morning before putting on any lip products, and I can tell it’s made my lips smoother and more nourished. And when I use it before bed, I feel like I wake up with fuller lips, too.” —BG

When I want to bring a natural glow back to my skin, I’ll dab this directly onto my cheekbones over my blush. It honestly just looks like sweat—no intense shimmer or chunky glitter here. And because it’s virtually translucent, all of the shades work well on practically all skin tones.

✨Rating: 4/5

One Cosmo editor says: “You know the wet-skin look that’s been trending on IG? This twist-up stick can help you score it in seconds. A few quick swipes give skin a dewy-as-hell gloss-like glow.” —Lauren Balsamo, beauty director

Confession: I wanted to hate this product for so long. I actually clowned on our beauty director, Lauren Balsamo, when she raved about it on set when we shot it for the Readers’ Choice Awards. But she convinced me to take a bottle home and just try it. And now I’m eating my words because I’m fully obsessed.

This formula has very minimal coverage—like, it really just adds a glow to my skin but doesn’t even necessarily even out discoloration. But with a concealer covering up my zits and dark circles, it offers such a fresh, barely-there look to my skin that’s so natural. It was my go-to complexion product on a recent safari trip in Africa because it’s so easy to use, but I also anticipate it making its way into my bag on a lot of summer trips.

✨Rating: 4/5

One Cosmo reader says: “I’ve used up four bottles of this—it’s that good.”

As evidenced, I’m kinda snobby about makeup. But especially lipsticks. If a lipstick doesn’t tick all the boxes, I likely won’t ever wear it. But this one is extremely smoothing on my lips, which is unlike most all matte lipsticks I’ve ever used. What lip lines? Once I glide this on, it’s like they don’t exist. It also doesn’t cling to dry patches at all. And it lasts a hella long time. I put this on before leaving my apartment at 8:30 a.m. and still had remnants of the nude color when I went to grab my lunch at 1 p.m.

✨Rating: 4/5

One Cosmo editor says: “Peep the image above, but I am thoroughly obsessed with this lipstick. I fear I need a second one to keep in my bag so I just always have it on me?! Intemporelle is the perfect shade for my skin tone as a nude, but Inspirante is a go-to red as well.” —BG

Not to be dramatic, but this is my favorite glowy foundation I’ve ever put on my skin. Every time I test a new foundation that claims to make my skin look radiant, I’m comparing the formula to how well this works for me. It’s in the Les Beiges family, meaning it’s meant to create healthy-looking, hydrated skin, thanks to a whole lotta water, glycerin, and meadowfoam seed oils that help make your skin both look and actually feel moisturized over time. With a buildable medium coverage, I can disguise breakouts, acne scars, and uneven skin tone in one layer, but can dab on a little more on any stubborn spots, too. It is not too heavy or cakey either and doesn’t make me look like I’m wearing a mask of makeup. Rather, I just look like I have naturally good skin. I will genuinely never be without it.

✨Rating: 5/5 (would give it a 10/5 if I could)

One Cosmo reader says: “I’m so glad I went ahead and bought this—it is so pretty on the skin and feels like nothing. It covers what I need it to and blends in seamlessly.”